Let’s Get Serious

Post navigation

It’s time to get serious. Are people really looking at President Obama and Mitt Romney and having difficulty making a decision? Can anyone who is not in the top 2% truly believe that Romney represents their best interests? Can anyone who’s views are not obstructed by hate, racism or jingoism not see that Obama is the only choice that makes sense?

Let’s take a real look at the Republican presumed candidate. We need to view him first and foremost through the character prism. It is this one trait that dictates behavior in all other areas. It provides the strength to stick to one’s values and beliefs regardless of the pressure to do otherwise. As we view his behavior on the national stage, we are justified if we worry about what we are seeing. First, he has changed positions on every major issue from abortion to health care and immigration to gun control. It is okay to modulate a position over time. But we have to question the strength of an individual’s character when the changes are across the board and just happen to align themselves with those from whom he is seeking financial and political support for his campaign for the Presidency. There is nothing subtle about this. It has played itself out not only in his position changes, but in his blatant pandering to those individuals through both his word and deed. We have to ask, ” what does he really stand for, what does he really believe?”

If the character issue doesn’t concern you, the gaff issue should. He seems to lack a contextual sensitivity. He questioned the quality of the cookies he was being served at one event and doesn’t understand that while we don’t resent his wealth, it seems that he doesn’t understand who the 98% of us are. He is deaf when it comes to the inappropriateness of his comments about his relationships to professional sports team owners or professional car racing owners. His recent statements overseas are something else all together. The fact is, that when he goes “off script” he makes terrible mistakes. He proves his lack of awareness and understanding about how the rest of us live. Most concerning, his policy choices show that he doesn’t care.

A President must be able to think fast on his feet and understand the right and wrong things to say within a specific setting. That is doubly true when he or she is in another country and is performing on the world stage. Romney’s recent performance on that stage in England, Israel and Poland must give us all pause. His statements were ill considered and his lack of sensitivity can only bring back memories of times past when we were the “Ugly Americans”. His mistakes were world class on the world stage. If he should become President, he will immediately have to clean up a mess of his own making.

Finally, we should be able to judge a candidate by whom he takes advice from and who he seems to favor as part of his inner circle. That is particularly concerning when you realize that it is the likes of Limbaugh, Cantor, Bachman, Bolton, the Koch brothers, Adelson and Rove. These are the people he listens to. These are the people he panders to. These will be the people who will guide his Presidency. A man without character or principal will do what he has to not only to get power, but also to keep power. If that doesn’t scare you, feel free to vote for Mr. Romney.